August 18, 2009

Bicycles marked for collection

Our apartment building contains a number of fully furnished apartments available for rent on a monthly basis and a result attracts a fair share of short term residents. While the number of residents in the building at any one time is pretty much constant, the number of bicycles in the parking lot grows slowly over time.

This creates bicycle parking carnage as everyone battles for space. As a result the seemingly unused bicycles slowly inch their way out of the under cover parking over the months to be left exposed to the elements.

It seems that more than a few of the short term residents choose to simply leave their bicycles behind when they vacate the building.

Recently a number of the abandoned bicycles have had notices taped to their saddles informing the owners that any bicycle still displaying the notice at the end of August will be removed from the property.

Just another example of just how disposable some people here consider bicycles to be.

Byron Kidd is the founder of the Tokyo By Bike website, writer, experienced urban cyclist, and expert on cycling in the staggering metropolis of Tokyo.

Working with NPO's and cycling activists to improve cycling infrastructure in Japan, Byron also operates internationally via a vast network of renowned urban mobility experts to promote Japanese cycling culture, and demonstrate how everyday cycling can work in megacities around the world. No city is too big for the bicycle.